Trans Candidates Lose, But Make History

Misty K. Snow and Misty Plowright made history as the first two openly transgender candidates to run for federal office. Neither was successful in her bid for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Congress, respectively.

Snow, 31, was defeated by Sen. Mike Lee, the Republican incumbent, who won 76% of the votes. Utah is a state where Democrats comprise only 11% of all registered voters. If she had won, Snow would not only have been the first transgender person ever elected to the Senate, but also the youngest candidate ever to make it to the upper chamber.

“I think we did a lot better than a lot of people thought, but that’s been my experience the whole time," Snowtold the Deseret News. "I don’t think anybody expected me to get out of convention. I don’t think anybody expected me to win the primary. A lot of people didn’t expect me to do well in the debate. A lot of people said, ‘Misty Snow’s not going to get even 30% of the vote.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah? Let’s watch.'"

In Colorado, Plowright was defeated by Rep. Doug Lamborn, the incumbent Republican, who got 63% of the votes. The congressional district in which the Plowright, a 33-year-old Army veteran, was running is considered to be one of the most conservative in the state.